Following Roland Emmerichs controversial Americanization of the Japanese monster icon in Godzilla (1998), the Beast from the East comes roaring back in this sci-fi adventure tale. Yuji Shinoda (Naomi Nishida), a scientist devoted to researching Godzilla, is setting up equipment on a fog-shrouded peninsula with her daughter Io (Mayu Suzuki) and journalist Yuki Ichinose (Takehiro Murata) when everyones favorite 180-foot-tall lizard appears from the sea and begins laying siege to a nuclear power plant. The military swings into action, but the monsters fiery breath soon uncovers an alien spacecraft; beings from outer space have come to take over the earth, and now Godzilla is our last line of defense against them. Hugely successful in Japan, Gojira Mireniamu (aka Godzilla 2000) was the first Japanese Godzilla movie since Godzilla 1985 to receive a US theatrical release. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide